


Caleb Dume’s Foofiest, Messiest, AWESOMEST LIFE DAY EVER!

by Findswoman



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Food Fight, Gen, Holiday Fic Exchange, Holidays, Jedi, Life day, Music, choir, porgs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 19:36:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13418208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Findswoman/pseuds/Findswoman
Summary: Caleb Dume has the AWESOMEST LIFE DAY EVER! Sure, things get messy and chaotic, and there are these weird foofy birds around, but it’s still THE BESTESTEST! Written for my good pal Raissa Baiard as part of the11th Annual Winter Holiday Fic-Gift Exchangeat the JCF. Many thanks to Ewok_Poet for beta reading and feedback.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Raissa Baiard](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Raissa+Baiard).



Caleb Dume was SO EXCITED for LIFE DAY!  
  
In just TWO DAYS the Jedi Temple was gonna hold its GREAT BIG HUGE LIFE DAY CELEBRATION! There were gonna be games, and prizes, and really amazing food! And the Younglings’ Choir was gonna sing not one, not two, but THREE REALLY WIZARD SONGS! But not only that—Master Nu had given _him,_ Caleb Ildephonsus Dume, a SOLO! How COOL was that! He was gonna get up there and sing his heart out and Sammo and Tai and EVERYBODY was gonna be SO IMPRESSED! They were gonna be all like, “OMF Caleb, you’re the BESTESTEST!!”  
  
Oh yeah, and there was gonna be that special guest person. Some beastwardeny type Ithorian Master was coming to give some sort of demonstration or something with some pudgy bird things from some ancient Jedi Temple island planet. Bor-ring. Who comes up with this stuff, anyway?  
  
But yeah, other than that, this was gonna be the AWESOMEST LIFE DAY EVER!  
  
* * *  
  
In her office in the temple library, Jedi Master Jocasta Nu looked at the wall chrono. There were fifteen minutes till rehearsal.  
  
Although her official positions at the Jedi Temple were those of Chief Librarian and Master Archivist, Master Nu also served on a volunteer basis as the director of temple’s Younglings’ Choir. Some ten years before, she had secured permission from the Council to organize the group as an extracurricular activity for the more performance-inclined temple youth (indeed, Nu herself had been quite a luminary of the Padawan Follies Cabaret Nights back in the day). There were days when leading young Jedi voices in song brought her pure, unadulterated joy; there were others when it just about drove her stark raving spare.  
  
And there had been ever more of the latter ever since that Dume boy joined the group.  
  
It wasn’t that he didn’t do well. On the contrary, he was one of her strongest and most enthusiastic singers. All right—sometimes _too_ strong and enthusiastic. There were times when Nu could barely hear her other singers at all. But she didn’t always have the heart to tell young Caleb to tone down; part of her couldn’t bear to stifle this bright, eager youngster’s obvious love of singing and zest for life in general.  
  
So she had given him a solo in the upcoming Life Day performance. That way he could belt as loud as he liked. Fine.  
  
But then there were the _questions._ The boy was always asking _questions._ “Master Nu, what are we going to work on today?” “Master Nu, why do we have to stand up when we sing?” “Master Nu, why does the alto 1 part go above the soprano 2 part in measure 25?” “Master Nu, why this?” “Master Nu, why that?” Fortunately, Nu found that most of them could be covered by one of three responses: (1) “That’s an excellent question, Caleb! Why don’t you go look it up in the library after rehearsal?”; (2) “Because fill-in-name-of-composer-here was a composer, not a droid”; or (3) “Because choir is not a democracy, Caleb honey. Now please turn to page 3 like everyone else.” But not all of them, by any means.  
  
The chrono showed ten more minutes now. As Nu rose from her desk and collected her binder, her baton, and the attendance datapad, she tried to think on the bright side. At least she only had to deal with the Dume child an hour and a half out of every week. Someday young Dume would become the padawan of a Master—a Master who would have to spend _every waking hour, minute, and second_ with him and his questions. Whether he, she, or they liked it or not...  
  
Nu smiled to herself. There were certainly some good things about being retired from active duty.  
  
* * *  
  
“All right, younglings! All together, from the top!”  
  
A recorded clavi-pian accompaniment blared from a nearby communications droid, and twenty young Jedi voices joined in song:  
  
“ _Won’t you join hands and sing with mee-ee-ee,_  
Sing songs of peace and har-mo-nee-ee-ee,  
This is my Life Day wish for yoo-oo-ou:  
May all your dreams of peace come truu-uu-ue,  
May all your dreams of peace come truu-uu-ue…  
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh…”  
  
As the choir continued on “ooh,” a Human boy with nut-brown hair and bright green eyes stepped forward and burst out with the following:  
  
“ _WEEEE are one fa-mi-lee,_  
WEEEE are one ga-la-xee,  
Don’t you know the Living Force  
is WHAT—MAKES—US—ONE—  
  
WEEEE are the tree of life,  
WEEEE’re the ones who will survi-ive,  
Come and we’ll walk  
in the light of the sun,  
the LIGHT—OF—THE—” __  
  
“Stop!” Master Nu rapped her baton on her music stand, and the twenty young Jedi voices were immediately silenced. “Caleb, that sounds very good, but you’re speeding up again.”  
  
“But Master Nu…” The boy’s round, green eyes looked up at her questioningly. “Am I really speeding up? I don’t feel like I’m speeding up. How can you tell?”  
  
Nu smiled winningly down at her student. “Caleb, honey, believe me, I can tell.” Several other younglings giggled. “Now, please take it again from ‘We are the tree of life,’ and remember to watch my baton”—which she tapped once more on the stand, then raised. “Choir, be ready to come back in.”  
  
“Okay, but—”  
  
“Buts are for sigarras, Caleb. From ‘We are the tree of life,’ please.”  
  
Caleb began again, over the choir’s “oohs”:  
  
“ _WEEEE are the tree of life,_  
WEEEE’re the ones who will survi-ive,  
Come and we’ll walk  
in the light of the sun,  
the LIGHT—OF—THE—SUUUUNNN…” __  
  
And the choir came back in:  
  
“ _So won’t you take my hand and walk with mee-ee-ee,_  
Down the path of peace and har-mo-nee-ee-ee,  
This is my Life Day wish for yoo-oo-ou:  
May all your dreams of peace come truu-uu-ue,  
May all your dreams of peace come truu-uu-ue…  
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooooh.” __  
  
As the droid’s last clavi-pian chord faded away, Master Nu heard the sounds of applause behind her. She turned to notice none other than Master Yoda standing in the doorway, clapping his small, green tridactyl hands appreciatively. Beside him stood an Ithorian in undyed, homespun Jedi robes, who clapped his large, dark-mahogany hands much more slowly. On his shoulder was perched some kind of rotund brown and white bird that bobbed and chirped merrily as it glanced around the room with large, round, black eyes.  
  
“Very well sung that was, younglings,” announced Yoda. “This interruption please pardon, Master Nu. Master Leedo Ald’opold, please allow me to introduce. Master Ald’opold, Master Jocasta Nu this is, Chief Librarian, Master Archivist, and director of the Jedi Temple Younglings’ Choir.”  
  
“How do you, Master Ald’opold.” Nu shook the Ithorian’s hand cordially. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome.”  
  
“Chaaaarmed, chaaaarmed indeed, Master Nuuuu.” Master Ald’opold spoke Basic in a deep, slow, heavily accented voice. “How do you doooo.”  
  
“Aarp,” added the bird on his shoulder.  
  
“Soooo, are you preparing for a perfoooormance?” the Ithorian continued.  
  
“Why, yes. We shall be singing at the all-Temple Life Day celebration in two days.”  
  
“Liiiife Day… Liiiife Day…” Ald’opold spoke the words pensively. “Soooo many hoooolidays, I can never remember them aaaall… that one’s a Wooookiee holiday originally, isn’t iiiit?”  
  
Nu turned to her group of young singers. “Now younglings, would someone like to explain the history and meaning of Life Day for Master Ald’opold?” There was no reply. “How about you, Caleb?”  
  
“Um, all right,” mumbled Caleb, who had been eyeing the Ithorian newcomer askance. This was probably that guest beastwardeny being, and that _thing_ on his shoulder was probably one of those Jedi-Temple-island birds that he was going to “demonstrate” or whatever. Probably while everyone was hungry and waiting for dinner…  
  
* _Now that’s enough, Caleb._ * Master Nu’s mental voice cut in on his thoughts. * _Be a good sport and do as I asked._ *  
  
The green-eyed boy swallowed and began. “Well, um, Life Day is a very ancient holiday from Kashyyyk that celebrates the value of all life, and, like, the diversity of all life…”  
  
“Aarp aarp aarp” chattered the bird, bobbing and flapping cheerfully.  
  
“Um… so, yeah.” Caleb paused and swallowed again, trying not to look at the bird. “Yeah, and um, it also celebrates things like peace, harmony, friendship… that kind of thing.” He shrugged.  
  
“Aarp aarp aarp aarp aarp aarp aarp!”  
  
“Caaalm dowwwwn, Amaraaaantiiiine.” Master Ald’opold reached up and stroked the bird, which quickly quieted. “Iiii seeee. Thaaank you, youuuung oooone. Thooough I confeeeess, I’ve neeeever quite understooood the puuuurpose of hoooolidays like thaaat. Why ceeeelebrate liiiife on oooonly oooone daaaay? We should ceeeelebrate liiiife eeevery daaaay. After aaaall, the Liiiiving Foooorce is aaaall arouuuund us, aaaall the tiiiime, noooo?”  
  
The younglings shifted and looked at each other uneasily. Yoda shifted uneasily as he leaned on his gimer stick. Even Nu shifted uneasily, as the chrono was ticking and there were still two more pieces left to rehearse. The bird, however, just said “aarp” again.  
  
“And what’s moooore,” the Ithorian continued, “should not eeeevery day should be deeeedicated to peeeace, and to haaarmony, and to frieeeendship? It is the wiiiill of the Foooorce that we seeek thoooose thiiiings aaaall theeee tiiiime. So what is the uuuuse of setting aside ooonly oooone daaay, hmmmmm?”  
  
More silence. Finally Caleb shrugged again. “I don’t know. I guess it’s just nice to be… reminded sometimes.”  
  
“A good point Youngling Dume makes,” put in Yoda. “And reminding me, the chrono is, that expecting us for a tour of the gardens, Jedi Fee will be in ten minutes. Leave you to your rehearsal we shall now, Master Nu and younglings. Thank you we do, for your time. Master Ald’opold, shall we?”  
  
“Chaarp,” said the bird.  
  
With that the two masters nodded to Nu and left the room. Nu picked up her baton and flipped a few pages in her binder.  
  
“All right, younglings. Time to move on to ‘Don We Now Our Robes of Red.’” She tried to stifle a sigh as noticed that Caleb’s hand was up. “Yes, Caleb, what is it?”  
  
“Master Nu, I was just thinking about what Master Ald’opold said, and… well… why _do_ we celebrate things like life and peace and harmony on only one day of the year?” Then, almost as an afterthought: “And what kind of… bird was that?”  
  
“Those are both excellent questions, Caleb.” Nu’s mouth was pressed into a firm, stern line. “Why don’t you go look them up in the library after rehearsal. Either that, or wait for Master Ald’opold’s demonstration at the celebration on Benduday. Now, ‘Don We Now Our Robes of Red,’ _please._ ”  
  
The blue-haired Theelin girl standing next to Caleb leaned over and fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Whatever it was, I think it _liked_ you.”  
  
“Shut up, Naneeza.”  
  
“‘DON WE NOW OUR ROBES OF RED,’ EVERYBODY!” Nu clattered her baton violently on the stand. “ _NOW!!_ ”  
  
And the music began.  
  
**to be continued**


	2. Chapter 2

Just ONE MORE DAY till _LiFe DaY!_  
  
Caleb could hardly believe it! It was right around the corner now. He’d been waiting for this day for MONTHS! Well, WEEKS, anyway! Or maybe just DAYS. But still! And what’s more, Master Nu had just held the Younglings’ Choir dress rehearsal, and he DIDN’T SPEED uP on his solo! She’d even come up to him afterward and told him how GOOD he sounded and how PROuD she was of him! And then she even answered his question about the fermata in measure 52—yep, actually _answered_ it, without sending him to the library or anything goofy like that! Oh yeah, he was gonna NAIL that solo tomorrow, and eVERYONe was going to LOVE it! He just kNEW it!  
  
’Course, that weird old Master Ald’opold was still around. Caleb had seen the Ithorian Jedi at various points throughout the day, at various places around the temple complex. Each time he had been with Yoda or some other member of the Council, talking about Serious Jedi Matters™ in that sloooow, annooooying vooooice of his. Each time he had had one or more of those pudgy brown-and-white birds with him, either perched on his shoulder, nestled in the crook of his arm, peeking out of his robe, or some combination of those. (Caleb was pretty sure it had been all three on at least one occasion.)  
  
And each time, as soon as Caleb or whatever group he was with got within eyeshot, the bird or birds would begin bouncing and flapping excitedly, all the while _aarping_ like there was going to be no tomorrow. And each time Master Ald’opold would be all like, “Quiiiiet, Amaraaaantiiiine!” or “Shuuuush, Belladooooraaaa!” or “Noooow, noooow, that’s enouuuugh, Floridogaaaabaaaaluuuus!”  
  
This had happened what, five, six times now? Yeah, Caleb knew there was no emotion, only the Force, yadda yadda yadda—but it was getting a little annoying already. Why was this happening to _him_ and not to one of those beastwardeny, nature-hugging types who took Master Griddhagg’s Care of Force-Sensitive Creatures elective? It made NO SENSE.  
  
At least there was just ONE MORE DAY, and Master Ald’opold would do his demonstration and leave and that’d be it for the pudgy bird things. Right? _Right?  
_  
* * *  
  
The day arrived. Sparkling silver and gold orbs hung from the vaulted ceilings of the Jedi Temple’s great hall. Garlands of fruit and flowers festooned the walls. All the tables were set with red tablecloths and were crowded with younglings, padawans, knights, and masters alike, who chatted merrily as they awaited the feast. Many wore red tunics, vests, or stoles over their customary robes, and some wore Life Day wreaths on their heads or garlands over their shoulders. The Masters of the Jedi Council, all festively adorned with wreaths and red garments, sat at a raised table at the front of the room; Master Leedo Ald’opold sat with them, still in his rough, undyed robes but with a garland hanging lopsidedly around his neck. Beside him a variety of _chirp_ s and _charp_ s emanated from a large, open-topped wooden crate. Server droids went from table to table pouring sparkling punch and hot chocolate, and brought out Callosian spring vegetable soup, fleek eel fritters, steamed sufar greens, tomo-spiced roast bantha, red-nebula-onion-mashed topatoes, and (in honor of the Ithorian guest) Corobb salad.  
  
Meanwhile, the Younglings’ Choir, all in red sequined vests, was filing onto the stage that had been set up at the front of the room. The communications droid, a wreath perched jauntily on its dome, rolled on after them, and Master Nu followed, stately and elegant in a long, draped dark red dress. Once all the young singers were in their places, she gestured to them to be seated. Then Master Yoda ascended the stage and addressed the assembly.  
  
“A Happy Life Day to you all, I wish!”  
  
More or less gradually, everyone quieted.  
  
“To our annual Jedi Temple Life Day celebration, welcome, you all are. A wonderful and memorable evening we have planned for you tonight, mm-hmm. Offer a few songs in honor of the occasion, the Younglings’ Choir will, and once again our very own Chief Librarian, Master Jocasta Nu, we thank, for directing them with such skill and such panache, mm-hmm.”  
  
Applause filled the room, with particularly enthusiastic applause coming from the members of the Younglings’ Choir. “WHOOOOO! GO MASTER NU!” yelled a brown-haired, green-eyed boy in the center of the front row, who was probably Caleb; a preteen Nautolan boy standing next to him elbowed him in the ribs. Master Nu, however, simply stood up and nodded graciously.  
  
“Next,” Yoda continued, “a very special demonstration there will be of the behavior, care, and feeding of the rare, Force-attuned porg—an avian species native to the ancient, sacred Jedi Temple world of Ahch-To, it is—and brought to us that will be by our very special guest, Master Leedo Ald’opold. Mm-hmm!”  
  
There was applause again, though not as loud as before. Master Ald’opold remained seated. After a few moments, Master Plo Koon, who was sitting next to him, gently touched his shoulder; only then did he rise very briefly to acknowledge the applause.  
  
“But first, invite you all, I do, me to join in a moment of silent meditation, mm-hmm. Our hearts and minds to the Living Force let us open, and our connection to all life let us with gratitude acknowledge. Join me, please do.”  
  
He closed his eyes and folded his hands in front of him, and everyone else in the room did the same. Silence reigned for several moments, with the exception of occasional stray _aarps_ from the wooden crate next to Master Ald’opold.  
  
“And now,” Yoda announced, once he and all the other Jedi in the room had opened their eyes again, “over to Master Nu and the Youngling’s Choir, I turn it. Sit back, relax, and the music enjoy, mm-hmm.”  
  
Master Nu gestured to the choir to stand. The communications droid began its accompaniment, and twenty young Jedi voices burst into a spirited rendition of the traditional Life Day carol “Don We Now Our Robes of Red.” All of the red-vested choristers sang with gusto, but none sang with more gusto than the brown-haired, green-eyed boy in the middle of the front row, who certainly was Caleb. _Aw, yeah!_ he thought to himself as he lifted his voice. _This is great!_  
  
Once the song was finished, the assembly applauded heartily, and Nu turned and bowed. Caleb beamed as he caught the telepathic acclaim of friends at a nearby table. * _Wow, that was pretty wizard, Caleb!_ * Sammo exclaimed, and Tai joined in with, * _Yeah, you guys sound_ so _awesome!_ *  
  
* _If you thought_ that _was awesome, wait’ll you hear me in the_ next _song!_ * Caleb shot back mentally as the first chords of the next song blared from the droid. He snapped to readiness and joined his fellow choristers in the opening refrain:  
  
“ _Won’t you join hands and sing with mee-ee-ee,  
Sing songs of peace and har-mo-nee-ee-ee,  
This is my Life Day wish for yoo-oo-ou:  
May all your dreams of peace come truu-uu-ue,  
May all your dreams of peace come truu-uu-ue…  
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh…_ ”  
  
—then stepped forward and sang in his loudest, clearest, most confident voice:  
  
“ _WEEEE are one fa-mi-lee—_ ”  
_  
_ “Aarp, aarp, aarp, aaaarp!”  
_  
_ “ _WEEEE are one ga-la-xee—_ ” _  
  
_ “Aarp, aarp, aarp, aarp, aaaarp!”  
_  
_ Waaaait a minute—what was going on here? That wasn’t one of Master Ald’opold’s _porg_ things, was it? But there was nothing for it—he had to go on...  
_  
_ “ _Don’t you know the Living Force  
is WHAT—MAKES—US—ONE—_ ” _  
  
_ “Aarp—aarp—aarp—AARP!”  
_  
_ Caleb felt something brush his lower leg, chanced a quick downward glance—and almost jumped out of his skin at what he saw. Two of Master Ald’opold’s porgs now stood close beside him on the platform, nudging against him as they bobbed and flapped and _aarp_ ed along with the music. And another had bounced out of the wooden crate and was waddling in his direction with alarming alacrity. _  
_  
_Ohmiforce, no… just… no…_ But he couldn’t just _stop_ … Caleb cast a desperate look at his friends, even as he took his next breath. _*Sammo! Tai! Help! You’ve got to do something!_ *  
  
“ _WEEEE are the tree of life—_ ”  
  
“Aarp, aarp, aarp, _aarp!_ ” _  
_  
* _Whaddaya mean? Do what?_ *  
  
“ _WEEEE’re the ones who will survi-ive—_ ”  
  
 “Aarp, aarp, aarp, _aarp, aarp!_ ”  
_  
_ * _I don’t care! Just do_ something _to get these things off me!_ *  
_  
_ “ _Come and we’ll walk  
in the light of the sun—_ ”  
  
“Aarp, aarp, aarp, AARP! Aarp, aarp, aarp, AARP!”  
  
* _Uh, okay, but—_ *  
  
* _Now!_ * _  
_  
“ _The LIGHT—OF—THE—_ ” _SPLAT!_ “CHAAARP! A gob of mashed topatoes struck the porg closest to Caleb’s leg, knocking it over. Another hit the porg on Caleb’s other side. Meanwhile, the third porg had just reached the stage as a third gob was speeding its way. It raised its wing—  
  
—and the topatoes suddenly changed their course, hitting instead a burly Cathar youth seated one table over from Sammo and Tai.  
  
“HEY! WHO THREW THAT?!” he yelled, then turned to notice Sammo. “QUID! I SHOULDA GUESSED! TAKE _THAT!_ ” He thrust out his hand, and a significant portion of his table’s mashed topatoes went flying through the air and hit the Twi’lek youngling squarely on one lek.  
  
Sammo gritted his teeth angrily as he cleared the topatoes from his person. “TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME, BORKUM!” he shouted, then sent his own table’s topatoes directly into the Cathar’s face.  
  
“YEAH, _BORKUM!_ ” added Tai, hurling the salt and pepper shakers as well for good measure.  
  
By now the whole room was thrown into confusion. Other younglings joined in the mêlée as sufar greens, fleek eel fritters, and more mashed topatoes went flying through the air with the aid of the Force. The music had stopped, and Master Nu was trying desperately to restore order to her choristers, half of whom were cheering excitedly and half of whom were just standing there in bewilderment. Master Ald’opold was padding ineffectually around the stage, making little clicking and smooching noises as he tried to coax his gobsmacked avians back into their crate.  
  
And Caleb Dume just stood there and beamed. Solo, Force-assisted porg removal, food fight—this really _was_ the best Life Day ever! * _Aw, yeah! That was awesome!_ * he transmitted to his friends. * _You guys rule!_ *  
  
* _Well, thanks, but…_ *  
  
* _Yeah, um, Caleb, look down…_ *  
  
“Chrrrp.”  
  
Caleb looked down. One of the porgs—maybe it was Amarantine, maybe it was Belladora, he wasn’t really sure—was hiding close behind his ankle, nuzzling it anxiously and glancing around with fear-filled round black eyes. Caleb froze for a moment, not sure what to do—then caught a glimpse of Master Ald’opold, still padding quizzically along one wall of the room, searching for his birds.  
  
“Here, li’l birdie,” Caleb said, bending down and reaching out to the porg. It hesitated for a few moments. Caleb took a few deep breaths to calm his Force presence down, then reached out to it again. “Aw, it’s okay, birdie, it’s okay.”  
  
This time, tentatively, the bird stepped toward him. He gathered it gently in his arms and stroked it; it gave a few tentative twitters in response. “It’s okay,” he said again.  
  
Then, very slowly and carefully, he carried the porg over to Master Ald’opold, who by now was almost at the back of the room. “Excuse me, Master, but, um, I, um… I believe this is yours.”  
  
The Ithorian gasped for joy as he took the porg in his arms. “Floridogaaaabaaaaluuuus! _Theeeere_ youuuu aaaare at laaaast! Why thaaaank youuuu, youuung maaaan. I appreeeeciate that soooo muuuuch. Hoooow kiiiind of youuuu.”  
  
“You’re welcome, Master.” Caleb smiled as he took one more look at Floridogabalus, who was now bobbing and twittering happily in his master’s arms, then returned to his place in the choir just in time for the start of the third and final song.  
  
* * *  
  
The rest of the celebration proceeded smoothly. The chaos of the food fight died down in fairly short order, mostly because Borkum ran out of mashed topatoes and was unwilling to sacrifice his fleek eel fritters. The Younglings’ Choir’s third song (“For the Life of All the Ga-la-xeee”) was received with general applause, with Caleb receiving a bear hug from Tai and a congratulatory noogie from Sammo when he sat back down. And even Master Ald’opold’s porg demonstration was not so bad. The Ithorian even called Caleb up as a volunteer at one point, to hold up a paper-covered hoop for Amarantine to fly through. Caleb had to admit the little guys and gals were really kind of cute. Just not when they were interrupting his solo, y’know?  
  
So yeah, definitely a pretty awesome Life Day all around. A bit messy, sure, and more than a bit chaotic—but definitely one of the BESTESTEST.  
  
**the end**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fermata: a real-life musical term; the bird’s-eye-shaped symbol indicating that a note is to be held extra long.
> 
> Master Griddhagg’s Care of Force-Sensitive Creatures elective: Fanon. Pretty sure the homage/reference/etc. is obvious. ;)
> 
> All the food items served at the Life Day feast are from canon sources and can be looked up on Wookieepedia. (The only semi-exception is the fleek eel fritters; fleek eels are established, but the idea of making them into fritters was mine.)
> 
> Borkum: An OC; I knew someone in college with a dog named this. It turns out the name comes from [this East Frisian island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borkum).
> 
> Again, the “BESTESTEST” business is borrowed from Ewok_Poet, who has been known to use this expression now and then. :)
> 
> And just incidentally, for what it’s worth, [AARP](http://www.aarp.org/) in the US stands for “American Association of Retired Persons.” Make of that what you will. :P

**Author's Note:**

> Caleb Ildephonsus Dume: The middle name is totally fanon, totally unofficial, and totally silly. :P
> 
> Jedi Temple Younglings’ Choir: I first wrote about choir of younglings directed by Jocasta Nu in a drabble for JCF's 2017 Ultimate Drabble Challenge (see “Number” in [this post](http://boards.theforce.net/posts/54239083)). Raissa, however, deserves credit for being the first to come up with the actual phrase “Younglings’ Choir.” :)
> 
> Sammo and Tai: Caleb’s Jedi youngling friends in the Kanan comics, [Sammo Quid](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sammo_Quid) (male Twi’lek) and [Tai Uzuma](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tai_Uzuma) (female Human).
> 
> “pudgy bird things from some ancient Jedi Temple island planet”: Three guesses. ;)
> 
> The two Life Day songs mentioned here are purely fanon, and before anyone asks, I haven’t come up with a melody for either of them—yet. 
> 
> Leedo Ald’opold: OC, named after real-life conservationist [Aldo Leopold](https://www.aldoleopold.org/about/aldo-leopold/) (1887–1948).
> 
> Amarantine: A nod to the “real name” given to Mara Jade in Kahara_the_ghostly_galoomp’s [Can’t Look Away](http://boards.theforce.net/posts/52316065): Amarantine Enwandung-Esterhazy.
> 
> Jedi Fee: The established Jedi gardener and groundskeeper [Yoland Fee](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Yoland_Fee).
> 
> Naneeza: Also an OC.


End file.
